A Pragmatic Study of Internet Buzzword

Internet buzzwords are a significant linguistic phenomenon in the digital age that capture both the distinctive linguistic communication techniques and the ever-changing social culture. Based on H.P. Grice’s Cooperative Principle (CP) and G. Leech’s Politeness Principle (PP), this paper examines the pragmatic function and generation mechanism of Internet buzzwords using the Top 10 buzzwords of 2024 as reported by the editorial departments of Language and Literature Weekly and Excessive Wording. The study examines how Internet buzzwords are generated and their practical purpose. It is found that Internet buzzwords often violate the maxim of manner of the CP. To achieve the effect of humor, exaggeration, or euphemism, at the same time, they also follow or adjust the PP, in order to maintain the social relationship between both parties. The discussion in this paper not only helps to understand the pragmatic logic of Internet language, but also provides a new observation perspective for sociolinguistic research.

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